1655. 6 Febr. Annis 1 ^o & 2 ^o Philip. & Mar. The said King and Queen by their Charter to the RUSSIA—COMPANY, Granted them the Sole TRADE to all the Main-Lands, Isles, Ports, &c. of the Emperour of Russia; at which time the Narve, (a Port in the Baltick Sea) belonged to the said Emperour.

1581. The said Port was taken from the Emperour by the Swede, who has Possessed it ever since.

I. THE Russia-Company having enjoyed the said Trade ever since 1555, which is now above 140 Years exclusivè, to others; it may be supposed (with submission) that they have received a very ample Recompence for the Expences, Pains, and Hazard of their first Discovery. And therefore the Admission into the Russia-Company, may be made more easy to all English Merchants in general.

II. And it would be for the Nations Interest, to permit any English Merchant to take his Freedom of the said Company, upon easy Terms. For the Merchants of the Russia-Company, and all other Merchants of England, are daily admitted into the several Free­doms of the Hamburgh and Eastland Companies, for a Fine of 40 s. (the Fine of Admission into the Eastland-Company having been reduced by Parliament to that Sum) on purpose to make the Admissions into that Company easy to all English Merchants: and the Fine of the Hamburgh-Company hath since been reduced by themselves to the like Sum, and for the like Reason.

III. That at present the said Company burden the Trade from Narve with a great Imposition, where they themselves Trade little or nothing; and lay no Duty at all on the Trade from Archangel, which they wholly reserve for themselves. Whereas, in reason the Impositions on all the Trade, both from Archangel and Narve, ought to be laid equally.

IV. Heretofore the said Company did permit Persons to Buy their Freedom for 60 l. But several Years since they made a By-Law, to Admit none into their Company, on any Terms whatever, unless by Service. Whereas the Admissions into other Companies, may be had for 40 s. as aforesaid.

V. That Masts, Timber and Firr-plank, Hemp, Pitch and Tar may be imported from Russia, at cheaper Rates than they can be had from Prussia, Denmark, Sweden or Norway.

VI. In Case of a War with the Countreys last named, (which usually in time of Peace furnish us with those Naval Commodities) we may be supplied with the like or better sorts, from Russia.

VII. That the Russes having no Ships of their own, all such Masts, Timber and Plank, and all other Commodities brought thence for England, will be Imported in English Ships; and so the Freight of them (which oft times is double or treble to the first Costs of the Goods) will be gained to this Nation. Whereas the Masts, Timber and Plank, Hemp, Pitch and Tar which are Imported from Prussia, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, are gene­rally Imported in Foreign Ships; whereby the whole Freight is totally lost to us, and gained by Foreigners.

VIII. As a farther Consequence of the Russes having no Shipping, they will thereby be rendred uncapable of Entring into a Sea-War; and so We shall have the greater likely­hood of always enjoying a free and open Trade with them, for those sorts of Commodities, which in time of War with Prussia, Denmark or Sweden, cannot be had from any Foreign Countrey.

IX. By the great Impositions paid to the Russia-Company, all our Naval Stores Imported from Narve are made dearer to us; and particularly that of Flax, of which We make our English Sail-Cloth; which ought rather to have all possible Ease and Encouragement, than to be Burthened with unnecessary Duties to a Private Company.

X. The making the Admissions of other Merchants easy into the Company, will Enlarge the Trade to Russia; which being a cold Country, and of large Extent, will Encourage a greater Exportation of the Woollen and other Commodities of the Growth and Manu­facture of this Kingdom, and of the English Plantations, than the Russia-Company do Export.